Sport-scan daily brief

While some players are reluctant to make physical statements on the ice, Nurse loves it. In a game where big men are either St. Bernards or German Shepherds, he’s the latter.

“It’s something you’ve got, or you don’t have,” he said. “I have it. I always liked hitting people more than getting hit. It’s better to give than receive, right. That’s just always been the way I’ve been.

“It’s just something that comes in my game. During the season you’re being someone who’s hard to play against and you get challenged. There’s always the right time to step up.”

Ironically, Nurse wound up being a hockey ruffian because his father, former Hamilton Ti-Cat Richard Nurse, and mother Cathy, who played basketball at McMaster, thought football was too dangerous.

“I wasn’t allowed (to play it),” said Nurse, whose uncle by marriage is long-time NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb. “I tried. But my parents wanted to keep me safe, crazy as it sounds, playing hockey. I guess in hockey you control a little more who gets hit when you’re on defence.”

In hockey, he will also be a role model for other minority kids who might not normally gravitate toward the ice. That isn’t a responsibility he takes lightly. But after watching one of the most classy and professional players in the game from afar, he knows what’s expected of him.

“Growing up, I got to watch Jarome Iginla,” he said. “He was one of the main reasons I loved hockey and became one of my favourite players to watch.

“It’s probably not the first thought I have — I play hockey because I love playing hockey — but being an inspiration for somebody some day is something that drives me, too.”

Dan Marr, executive director of NHL Central Scouting, says whoever winds up with the 6-foot-4 defender will be getting a good one.

“I’ve always compared him to Shea Weber,” said Marr. “He’s got a mix where he’s good at the physical game, good at the skill game. He’s got a good shot from the point. He’s a good package.”

But, despite his athletic lineage, none of this comes naturally.

“I wish it was that easy,” he said. “For me, athleticism wouldn’t get me too far if I didn’t work the way that I did.

“Everybody is athletic, everyone is in the gym five, six times a week. Having the athletic part as a background is a good help but it would be hard to find somebody who works has hard as I do.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.30.2013

683004 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers - drafting their way through misery, and out?

By Robert Tychkowski,Edmonton Sun

First posted: Saturday, June 29, 2013 05:14 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday, June 29, 2013 06:21 PM MDT

For Edmontonians, the NHL Entry Draft is something to be loved and hated in the same breath, an exercise of wild extremes that Oilers fans still credit for the glory years and still blame for the lean years that followed.

Draft day delivered the cornerstones for hockey’s last great dynasty, it led them into a barren wasteland of mediocrity and is now providing the kind of talent and hope that Edmontonians haven’t seen here in 20 years.

In the final installment of a three-part series leading up to selection day 2013, The Sun looks at Edmonton’s draft record from 2004 to the present, also known as the Long Road Back.

After blowing 18 of 20 first picks from 1984 to 2003, the Oilers re-discovered their drafting rhythm somewhat in the mid 2000s.

They took Devan Dubnyk in the first round of 2004 (14th overall), Andrew Cogliano 18th in 2005, Jeff Petry 45th (they had no first round pick) in 2006, Sam Gagner 6th in 2007, stole Jordan Eberle with the 22nd pick in 2008 and picked Magnus Paajarvi 10th in 2009.

The Oilers drew the 7th overall pick this year. Below are recent 7th round picks and how they've panned out. Hover over the picture for more info. The story is continued below.

All in all, a very productive run given where they were picking.

But it still wasn’t enough to lift them out of the bottom half of the NHL.

It didn’t help that in 2007 they had three picks in the first round and blew two of them on Alex Plante (15th) and Riley Nash (22nd) and that when it came to second or third round picks and late rounders - virtually nothing panned out.

Rob Schremp and Linus Omark made waves in the media, but couldn’t stick in the NHL. JF Jacques and Teemu Hartikainen had all the tools, but lacked big league passion.

Of the 35 players selected with their second pick or later between 2004 and 2009, only two (Theo Peckham and Anton Lander) are still in the mix.

The resulting lack of organizational depth, coupled with bad management and a capricious owner more interested in buying a winner than building one resulted in years of bitter hardship - seven straight seasons out of the playoffs.

It also meant an unprecedented three straight first picks overall, the kind of second chance most organizations can only dream of.

LOSING'S NOT EXCITING

“Scouts don’t dream of picking first, that’s for sure because it means your team has been pretty bad, obviously,” said head scout Stu MacGregor, who took over the top job in 2007. “But when you’re there, it is an opportunity for an organization to re-stock and get quality players. It’s exciting from that aspect, it’s just not exciting to watch the whole season when the team isn’t going very well.”

It wasn’t. For three years, the best part of the season came in June, when the Oilers got first pick of the NHL litter. And while it might look easy scooping up the consensus No.1 every year, picking first also involves the most pressure. It’s a pick that, good or bad, will live with a scout and his organization forever.

“I don’t think it’s ever easy, no matter where you draft,” said MacGregor. “But there’s obviously a little more pressure when you pick No.1.

“You have to just be prepared for it, do the work and make sure you feel right about the pick you’re making. There’s stress, but you deal with it.

“And once the decision is made that you’re picking first, you just get after it. The stress might be after if they don’t perform.”

In 2010 it was Taylor vs Tyler, a decision that seemed obvious on its face, given that Hall had better numbers, walked over Seguin’s team in the playoffs and was a two-time Memorial Cup MVP. But it wasn’t very difficult to over-analyse the situation.

The Oilers needed a centre, Hall benefited from a better team and wasn’t Seguin a few months younger? It provided some great drama right up to the last moment.

FUTURE SHOP

Oilers First Picks

2004 - Devan Dubnyk

2005 - Andrew Cogliano

2006 - Jeff Petry

2007 - Sam Gagner

2008 - Jordan Eberle

2009 - Magnus Paajarvi

2010 - Taylor Hall

2011 - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

2012 - Nail Yakupov

In the end, they took the guy who reminded them of Messier.

The next season, after another 30th place finish and another first round pick, the decision came down to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, power forward Gabriel Landeskog, Memorial Cup MVP Jonathan Huberdeau or defenceman Adam Larsson.

In the end, they took the skinny kid with eyes in the back of his head who reminded them of Gretzky.

In 2012, when it came down to Nail Yakupov or defenceman Ryan Murray, they went with the charismatic Russian whose one-timer reminded them of a young Jari Kurri.

In hindsight, MacGregor says there weren’t even tough calls.

“Not really,” he said. “I feel good about where we’re at with all three of those picks. Taylor Hall is starting to establish himself as a high end player. The Nuge has been really good and I’m sure he’ll recover from his injury and be just as good or better and I’m sure Yakupov with his 17 goals showed why we drafted him. I have no issues about where those players are. I think they’re tracking well.”

They certainly have everyone flashing back to the halcyon days when Barry Fraser and company set the table for a dynasty by landing Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri and Grant Fuhr in a span of 15 picks.

EXCITING FUTURE

“We got to choose another cornerstone piece of the organization,” said former general manager Steve Tambellini. “For us, trying to think of what that’s going to look like with Hopkins, Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi, Hemsky... it’s exciting.”

It wasn’t that exciting. The Oilers only managed a 24th place finish with all those guys, suggesting there is still a lot of work left to do heading into Sunday’s draft in New Jersey, where the Oilers are hoping to keep their draft day momentum going with a strong first pick (seventh overall).

“I’m glad to be out of the first row of tables,” said MacGregor. That’s a step forward. Would I have liked to pick 10, 12 or 16? Absolutely, but we are in a situation where we moved forward a bit last year and feel good about it.

“We’ll get a good player at 7. We know who No. 7 is on our list and I’d be thrilled to get him.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.30.2013

683005 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins doesn't handicap the field … Seth Jones still excited … Sean Monohan slips the jinx … Hunter Shinkaruk measures up

By Robert Tychkowski,Edmonton Sun

First posted: Saturday, June 29, 2013 04:18 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday, June 29, 2013 04:33 PM MDT

NEW YORK - Don’t ask Dallas Eakins who he wants Edmonton to select on Sunday — the Oilers head coach has no idea.

While a lot of people analysing the draft haven’t seen any of these kids play live, it doesn’t stop them from rating and ranking and speculating. Eakins, on the other hand, is more honest than most when it comes to evaluating the class of 2013.

He won’t, because he doesn’t know enough about any of them to make an informed decision.

“You say a name to me and I’ve heard the name, but I couldn’t tell you if he shoots left or right,” said Eakins, when asked if there’s a guy in the four to seven spots he’d love to see in Edmonton.

“I am going buzz in with our amateur scouts and be a fly on the wall and listen, but for me … these amateur scouts work extremely hard and I have trust in them to make the right call. For the head coach of an NHL team, you have to leave it to those guys and trust their pick.”

SPOILER ALERT

Three years ago Taylor or Tyler captivated fans of the NHL draft for months.

Two years ago, the Oilers kept everyone in suspense before they announced they were taking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins over Gabriel Landeskog.

This year, Colorado let the air out of the balloon when they announced that the top ranked player in this year’s draft won’t be going first overall.

Avs executive vice-president Joe Sakic said they’re going to pass on defenceman Seth Jones and go with Nathan MacKinnon instead.

Thanks for ruining the drama.

“They have, good for them,” said Jones, adding it doesn’t change the draft for him, knowing a week ago that he isn’t going first. “Not much. I’m still going to sit there and wait for my name to be called just like I would if they hadn’t come out.

“The expectation and excitement have been building up for quite some time now. I’m just happy that it’s finally here.”

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Being on a bottom feeder that missed the playoffs usually isn’t good for a player’s draft status, but Sean Monahan seems to have overcome. He’s ranked fifth among North American skaters and is being spoken of in glowing terms despite the last-place Ottawa 67’s 16-46 record.

“The fact Ottawa was going through a rebuilding year didn’t make it easy for him,” said Dan Marr of NHL Central Scouting. “But NHL scouts are aware of these factors. It actually worked to his advantage, teams knowing that he wasn’t playing with a lot of skill to help set him up, that he had to do a lot of the work on the play. I think he’s a very highly thought of and respected player.”

Marr compared the 6-2 centre to Carolina’s Eric Staal, who happens to be one of Monahan’s idols.

“Every team needs an Eric Staal who can play on your team for a long time. He’s a player who leads by example. He’s got the skill set where he can generate offence but he’s also very responsible defensively. He’s just a strong two-way centre who’s going to play for some team for a long, long time.”

KANE DO

Speaking of comparisons, small centre Hunter Shinkeruk isn’t shy about who he wants to be like.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.30.2013

683006 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers expect game-changing talent with No. 2 pick in NHL Draft

BY GEORGE RICHARDS

Posted on Sun, Jun. 30, 2013

When the Panthers had the third overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Florida landed forward Jonathan Huberdeau — who is now the NHL’s reigning rookie of the year.

“There were two players we thought were close to Huberdeau,” assistant general manager Mike Santos said. “We just waited for the picks to be made, and he fell into our lap. Looking back, the right guy fell into our lap.”

On Sunday, Florida has the second selection after Colorado. The Panthers hope history repeats itself and another top-end talent heads to South Florida.

Colorado, which won the draft lottery in April to pull the top pick away from the last-place Panthers, said it will select a forward and not top-rated defenseman Seth Jones.

Of course, this could be a bluff in trying to get the Panthers — or another team — to trade up for the top pick.

After all, Jones not only has ties to the Denver area and the Avs organization, but as a defenseman he plays a position where the Avs could use help. Florida general manager Dale Tallon said he believes what the Colorado management team of former players Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy is selling.

“Based on their history as players and as people, they are new to the game, but I believe they are very truthful,” Tallon said. “I’m just concerned about what we can do. The top four guys are slam dunks. We’re very prepared and satisfied they all will help us out.”

If the Avs were to take center Nathan MacKinnon, whom it is believed the Panthers prefer, Florida is projected to select Jones.

Florida, by virtue of finishing the season in last place, will get what projects to be a very good player with either MacKinnon, Jones or forwards Jonathan Drouin and Aleksander Barkov.

“We’re going to get a better-than-normal prospect in this draft,” said Scott Luce, the team’s director of amateur scouting. “We, as an organization, would much rather be in the playoffs like we were the year before, picking at 23 and getting a guy like Mike Matheson every year rather than going through the top guys in every draft. Our fans deserve that and our staff deserves that.”

Tallon said Saturday that the Panthers haven’t decided whom they will take with the second pick and reiterated that Florida could move up in a deal with Colorado or slide down.

This draft is deep in talent and teams covet Florida’s position.

“We’re going to get one hell of a player,” Tallon said. “I wish I had more picks. I really do. You try to be greedy, but you only get one kick at the can. You better make sure it’s the right one. We’re fortunate to be picking where we’re picking.”

Said Santos: “If you are picking one, two, three or four, you are getting a player who is a game-changer. Being at No. 2 doesn’t change a heck of a lot from being No. 1.”

The Panthers will have plenty of suitors Sunday, although Tallon said Saturday was “eerily quiet” on the trade front.

“Whatever the best option is for us, that’s what we’re going to do,” Tallon said. “I had conversations with [Colorado] on a couple of occasions. You have to exhaust every opportunity to get better.

“It would be unfair for me not to ask them if they were thinking about moving that pick. If they move it for something that we had or … could have given them, it would be very frustrating for our franchise and for all of us. We explore every avenue to make sure we have the best available picks. That’s how I’ve always operated.”

Luce has been watching Jones and MacKinnon for a long time. Although Jones comes into the draft as the top-rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting, MacKinnon is a player who has been pegged to be a top pick for the past few years.

Although surpassed by the emerging Jones in the eyes of some scouts — Jones is approaching 6-5 and can skate as well as anyone in this draft — many believe MacKinnon is a franchise-changing offensive forward.

“With our spot, we feel there are four guys out there who are elite guys,” Luce said. “We spent the past few months looking at those four guys to determine who is the best fit for our organization. It’s still a work in progress. We’ve had a lot of conversations.”

Because of the lockout that shortened the 2013 season to 48 games, the NHL is cramming all seven rounds of this draft into Sunday.

The first round is projected to take just over two hours to complete with the Panthers kicking off the second round with the 31st selection.

Tallon and his crew are hoping to continue adding to the Panthers depth as Florida holds five of the first 100 picks. Although Florida doesn’t have a third-round pick — yet — it does have three early selections in the fourth.

“Those picks are going to turn into something very positive for us,” Tallon said. “Either we’re going to use them to move up, or it’s such a deep draft, we’ll fill some needs.”

Miami Herald LOADED: 06.30.2013

683007 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers interested in ex-Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier

BY GEORGE RICHARDS

Posted on Sun, Jun. 30, 2013

Vinny Lecavalier in a Panthers sweater? If the team has its way, that scenario — a nightmare for Tampa Bay fans — could come to light next season.

Lecavalier, the Lightning’s all-time leader in just about everything, was bought out by the team and is now a free agent. With the Panthers looking for veteran talent, team management said Lecavalier is a player in whom they are interested.

Both general manager Dale Tallon and assistant GM Mike Santos said Saturday that the Panthers’ full attention, right now, is on Sunday’s NHL Draft, but they are trying to engage in talks with Lecavalier and his representatives on Sunday before they leave New York.

Lecavalier, like all unrestricted free agents, can’t sign with another team until Friday.

“We’re very interested in his leadership, his skill level,” Tallon said after meeting with draft prospects at the team’s hotel near Times Square. “We have young, big centermen who could learn a lot from him.

“We have some interest; hopefully he has some as well. That’s the way it starts. It takes two to tango. If he doesn’t want to come, so be it. But I think there will be some open dialog there. That would be a benefit to our franchise.”

Lecavalier, who just finished his 14th season, has been the Lightning’s captain since 2000 and has 26 goals and 42 assists in 78 career games against the Panthers. Lecavalier had 10 goals and 22 assists in 39 games last season — with two goals and six points in four games against Florida.

“Even the thought of wearing a different kind of jersey is weird in my head,” Lecavalier told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday.

Because of a reduced salary cap — and Lecavalier’s declining numbers — Tampa Bay decided to exercise its option to buy out the final seven years of the 11-year, $85 million deal Lecavalier signed with the team’s previous owners.

So, the Lightning will pay Lecavalier roughly $33 million over the next 14 years and not have that money count against the salary cap.

The Panthers are hoping the lack of a state income tax and South Florida’s proximity to Lecavalier’s Tampa charities might help sway Lecavalier in staying local.

“You have to have interest in Vinny Lecavalier,” Santos said. “It’s a little premature to see what his price will be in years and money. He’s a high character guy with great leadership skills. … Is he better than what we have at center right now? Probably.

“There are a lot of reasons for him wanting to stay in the state of Florida. Let’s face it, there are lots of tax advantages in Florida and the money Tampa is buying himself out with is considerable.”

Canada’s TSN reported that Lecavalier’s representatives met with Dallas, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Montreal, among others, on Saturday in New York.

Elsewhere

• Jonathan Huberdeau received another honor Saturday as he was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team for 2013. Huberdeau recently won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

Huberdeau had offseason surgery on his hip and is expected to resume skating in the coming weeks.

“He played hurt. That tells you a lot about this kid,” Tallon said. “He played hurt and extremely well. We didn’t have many players due to injuries, so teams focused on him. He’s a special kid.”

• Tallon said he spoke with Stephen Weiss’ agent Saturday in the continued hopes to sign the pending free agent center.

“You only get one shot at being a free agent, and we’re trying to do the best we can for both parties,” Tallon said. “If I can come up with the right number, well, that’s fine. We’ll go through [Sunday] and then make a decision next week.”

• Ed Jovanovski met with his surgeon Friday and told Tallon he is pain free for the first time in a long time. Jovanovski was limited to six games last season after having radical hip surgery in April.

Tallon said Jovanovski is expected to begin skating this week, although it’s not known whether the defenseman will be ready for training camp in September.

Miami Herald LOADED: 06.30.2013

683008 Florida Panthers

David J. Neal: It’s simple – Florida Panthers should draft Seth Jones

BY DAVID J. NEAL

Posted on Sun, Jun. 30, 201

Simplicity works with amazing frequency. How often do you see people mess up meals, attire, birthday parties, stories (guilty) by trying too hard to be smart? Sometimes, you just blow up the bounce house and get out of the way.

That’s what the Panthers should do at Sunday’s NHL Draft: take defenseman Seth Jones with the No. 2 overall selection in the NHL’s annual pick-and-pray.

Jones, who plays for the Western Hockey League’s Portland (Ore.) Winterhawks, draws notice from non-puckheads for his lineage: son of former NBA player Popeye Jones. Scouts like that Dad passed along size (6-4 or 6-5, 205 pounds, probably filling out to 230 at full maturity) and the athleticism manifesting itself in skating ability and offensive skill.

Jones is ranked as the No. 1 North American defenseman or forward by NHL Central Scouting. Other scouts have him No. 2 behind goal-scoring center Nathan MacKinnon.

You can definitely be too thin. You can never be too rich. You definitely can never be too rich in defensemen, especially offensive defensemen with size. It’s the rarest commodity on a roster.

It’s why I’ve never criticized the Panthers taking Jay Bouwmeester in 2002 instead of power forward Rick Nash. Nash turned out to be the better player, though consensus opinion had him below Bouwmeester. That’s a mistake in hindsight, a classic draft “darn,” not a philosophical mistake. The true killer that year turned out to be moving up one spot — one spot! — to take center Petr Taticek at No. 9 overall and leaving Alexander Semin on the board for Washington.

Two of the NHL’s best under-23 defensemen, 21-year-old Erik Gudbranson (who stands 6-5) and maddening 22-year-old Dmitri Kulikov, wear the leaping cat with 21-year-old Alex Petrovic in the minors. Don’t care. Give Jones another two seasons and he’ll be emerging as Gudbranson hits his prime.